Part Twenty-One
'…I love you too…'
"You…really? You love me? Silly, klutzy, brainless…me?"
"Ken…do you think I would have come this far with you if I didn't?"
Ken thinks on that a moment, his body still sprawled halfway over Ran's as they lay on the kitchen floor. "Well…I'd normally agree with that, but…not less than an hour ago you were chatting up the last guy you went this far with."
"Wha--? How did you--?" Ran shakes his head; this isn't the time to be prying into how Ken figured out Yuushi was the only man…only other man…he's ever slept with. "Ken, when I said 'come this far' I didn't just mean the…highly inappropriate and…intoxicating…uhh…"
"Sex." Ken finishes, emphasizing the 's' with a little too much silk in his voice and a rather naughty, lingering gleam in his eyes.
Ran's cheeks would be blushing if he wasn't already flush. "Yes. That. I didn't just mean…that. Physical intimacy doesn't require love, much as it should. Putting up with your silly, klutzy, brainless…everything, now that does."
Raising his eyebrow with only feigned challenge, Ken jabs a finger at Ran's ribs. "Should I be taking that as the insult it sounded like, or…as a sweet, it's-about-damn-time-you-said-you-loved-me confession?"
The corners of Ran's mouth find it so much easier to form a smile, albeit small and subtle, and soon a pale hand is reaching up to brush back some of Ken's damp, chocolate hair. "Let's go with the second one." the redhead nearly grins. "It'll save me from any further bruises. With that, you had better hope my…lack of activity these past few years…until now, of course…does not cause any lasting discomfort that might hinder future missions."
Ken's own smile turns a little sinister. "Yeah, you lost the right to complain when you rolled yourself into this position…Ran."
Ran's eyebrows rise to this challenge. "Really now? I'd watch my sass if I were you before I roll us into another."
His smirk still quite wicked, Ken leans his head close to Ran's, their lips separated only by a thin stream of air between them. "Oh…please, no…whatever shall I do…" the brunette mocks. "Seriously though? Please don't say things like that unless you mean them, coz I could certainly handle another round, if you know what I mean."
For a split second--when Ken's close proximity and adorable expression cloud Ran's judgment long enough to help him forget how exhausted he is--Ran almost decides to take Ken up on that offer. "Are you always this insatiable?"
"Mmm…yep. Pretty much." Ken laughs lightly, having only half meant his offer anyway. Begrudgingly he lifts himself up to better look at his companion. "I was one of those insatiable teenagers who, once I found a willing partner, I just couldn't get enough."
This is meant as a joke, a joke with some very real truth to it, but a joke only. Therefore, the sudden drain of blood from Ran's face, making him look once again all too pale, makes Ken rightly worried.
"Hey, you okay? I was just teasing." the brunette mends. "I was no Youji in school, if that's what you're thinking."
Ran's lips twitch in a very forced and failing smile. "I…wouldn't think so. I…just…"
Ken tilts his head slightly, intrigued but a little worried too. "What…?"
Turning his gaze to stare into the expanse of RV beyond their kitchen sanctuary, Ran's mind has begun to wander as his senses return to him. And as it wanders…he begins to wonder. "Ken…it isn't right for me to want to know this. I don't need to know this, but…you…you know the truth for me, and…after…what's happened, it's quite obvious this wasn't your first time with another man, and…I'm…rambling horribly, please tell me to shut up." When Ran somewhat timidly turns his eyes back on Ken above him, he is met only with an understanding smile.
"I know it was just Knight, so you wanna know who it was for me. Right?"
Ran's nerves soothe under that lovely smile. He nods.
"Well…total people…you're number 5." Ken admits. Saying it, however, makes the truth of it hit him like it never had before. "Whoa. 5 to 1 makes it sound like a lot more than I was thinking."
"5 to 2, Ken." Ran offers.
They share a quick smile.
Ken isn't entirely sure he is comfortable with talking about this, but…Ran does have a right to know.
"My first…" Ken continues slowly. "…was a big mistake. It was this good friend of mine. Real good. I mean, we were disgustingly close. And…one day we got it in our heads to start fooling around, and…before we knew it things had gone too far. After that…well…she never really talked to me again after that."
"She?" Ran speaks reflexively, not meaning to sound quite as surprised as his voice is betraying him.
Ken tosses his companion a mischievous look. "Yeah. She. What, you thought I only played on one team?"
Ran tries his hardest not to blush now that his skin has finally cooled.
"After that…there was a girlfriend. Yeah, girlfriend. We weren't serious, but we were together a good while before we realized we didn't really suit each other. Then…then there was Senpan."
Ran instantly makes a mental note. A name. Senpan.
"He and I were in J-league together. I'd thought of other guys that way before, but not seriously until him. I'd kissed a couple friends. Experimenting, ya know? Not a good idea. But with Senpan…there was no weirdness. Not even a little. We both figured we liked each other and…one day…after practice…there we were…kissing in the showers." A tiny little smirk from memories of knowing he got away with something he probably shouldn't have crosses Ken's face. Ran doesn't grudge him for it. "We were…as serious as two teenagers could be serious, I guess. We were together a long time. A real long time…"
Perhaps it is because of the sorrow that has touched Ken's voice, but Ran gets the distinct impression he should give a little push—a small, very careful one. "Did the two of you…break apart…after the incident?"
A clearer definition is not needed for Ken to know what the 'incident' refers to. His dwindling smile turns a little bitter. "No. It was before then. Not long before, a week or two, but…it was before. We…I don't know…we had a fight. One of many at the time. We grown out of each other, I guess. I really thought I loved him once…but…I don't think I really knew what love was…"
Ran smiles in sympathy, reaching out again with his pale hand, this time to stroke at Ken's cheek and offer what little solace he can.
Senpan makes three, and Ran already knows who number 4 is. So he thinks.
"So then…those few weeks before the incident…it was Kase, ne?"
Ken nearly chokes on his own air, pushing up with a hand on either side of Ran's head to get as clear a look at his partner as possible. "What? Kase? You think me and…Kase? No!"
"I…just assumed, I suppose, since you were so close. You risked so much on that mission…"
"For a friend. A friend. I mean, maybe it crossed my mind once or twice for like…a split second, but Kase and I were never more than friends. After Senpan it was Yuriko."
Yuriko. Yuriko? Ran knows he should remember the name, but…oh. The toxic sports drink. Ken being ridiculously chipper one morning at the shop. Now he remembers. Her.
Ran had taken an immediate dislike for the whole situation at the time. Ken was gone, flippant about orders, acting as if he was on cloud-9, and…Ran had no idea why. Youji had mentioned something or another and it hadn't taken Ran long to figure things out after that. Looking back, he can even remember feeling the faintest traces of…jealousy.
Even back then? Damn, it seems Shioshiro wasn't kidding after all.
"I'll take the look on your face to mean you remember Yuriko." Ken says suddenly, breaking into Ran's thoughts. "We were only together one time, but…shit, I almost left Weiss for her."
This time it is Ran's turn to choke.
"Oh…right…only Youji knew about that."
"You were going to leave Weiss?" Ran spits out, smile gone and violets narrowed. He doesn't mean to be angry, but this is not pleasant news to suddenly have thrown in one's lap. "You were going to leave…me…"
Both boys are a little surprised by Ran's admission. He didn't even realize what he was saying until it slipped from his lips.
Ken lowers himself back onto Ran, snuggling into that perfect chest and tucking his head beneath his lover's chin.
"Dork." He chides, smiling into the warm skin beneath him. "I didn't have you. As far as I knew, you couldn't stand to even be in the same room as me most of the time. I loved you long before Yuriko, but…she liked me back. And…I don't know…it was a chance to get out. A chance to stop with the wishful thinking. It's not like I wanted to leave…you…"
Arms wrapping around the man atop him, Ran's anger is all too easily gone, and he revels in this feeling. Ken, the two of them together, the hard part over, the knowledge of a life they can have, and…knowing, knowing this moment, and for all those moments to follow, that yes, he loves Ken. Fujimiya Ran loves.
Honestly, he never believed he would say that again.
"It doesn't matter, Ken. None of it matters. Things have a way of working out."
Ken digs in a little deeper. "You can say that again."
Ran's small smirk slips its way back onto his face as he cradles Ken against him. "Comfy?"
"Mmhm…"
"Really?"
"Course. I'm on top of you. What more could a guy ask for?"
"I was thinking of…a shower. Unless you really are 'comfy' with this mess between us."
Oh yeah. Ken had nearly forgotten. "Right. I guess I could use a shower. If…you're willing to join me?"
"Well, I was just going to say--"
"We're back!"
Ken's head lifts from Ran's chest and their eyes meet in a moment of sudden panic.
"Yeah, turns out this town doesn't even have a movie theatre."
Their eyes dart to the entrance as the RV door opens.
"Hope you guys had a chance to…" Shioshiro trails off, first to enter, as the sight before him focuses. "…work out your differences." he finishes, bringing up a hand to very swiftly cover his eyes. "Oh did I not need to see this."
Nagi, right on Shioshiro's heels with Omi beside him, raises an eyebrow. "I tend to agree. Especially in the--"
"Kitchen!" cries Omi, hands suddenly on his demure hips in a scolding, motherly manner. "Aya-kun! Ken-kun! In the kitchen?"
Ken forces out a nervous laugh. "Ehhh…it was the most convenient place at the time?" he offers.
Whether audible or not, there are some definite groans in response to that. "Can someone please give them something to cover up with?" Shioshiro pleads, still staring blankly at his hand rather than having to see the uncomfortable sight of his parents in a…compromising position.
Omi, still a little miffed, finally has it hit him that two of his good friends are naked in the kitchen and that it is rather embarrassing to have walked in on them, grabs a few towels off the counter, not wanting to get too close to the pair if he can help it. He throws the towels down to them as they disentangle, carefully concealing their…own embarrassment.
Cheeks a little flushed now, Omi makes his way back to the others. "You can look now, Shio-kun." he says.
Still extremely hesitant, Shioshiro lowers his hand, peeking out through slitted eyes.
Both cornered men are standing now, though Ran is having a little more trouble moving than Ken is for…obvious reasons. Shioshiro makes a point of not taking note of this.
"As happy as I am that you two…yeah…feel free to make your way to…some place you can get clothes. Any time now. Please." Shioshiro is very much portraying the scarred son who just walked in on 'dad' and 'dad' right now. And thankfully, his parents are wise to his discomfort.
"Right. Going." Ken says with a sheepish smile, grabbing hold of Ran's hand while holding his towel together with the other. "We'll clean up the kitchen later, Omi. Promise. And thanks for leaving the oil out this morning, by the way."
"Didn't need to hear that!"
"Sorry, Hiro. We'll just…yeah. Come on, Ran." Ken says, beginning to head for the bedroom with a swift tug on Ran's hand in order to drag the redhead after him.
Ran's legs move, but not without extreme discomfort from the force of moving so soon after…yeah. "Ow, ow, ow. Slow. Down." he hisses, somewhat hobbling his way after Ken, and unable to even look in the direction of the others, especially at his son.
A very thick and awkward silence follows Ran and Ken's departure, those left behind not entirely sure how to move on with the evening.
Midnight snacks are a definite no.
A deep sigh signals the silence's end as Shioshiro moves into the main area of the RV and plops down in one of the chairs. Omi and Nagi eventually follow to sit on the couch. No one makes eyes contact.
"You know…" Shioshiro starts, trying to suppress the smile that very desperately wants to break free, even with all the squicky rumblings in his stomach. "It's going to take a lot of therapy to counteract that."
Omi and Nagi couldn't agree more.
-----
"I can't believe they did it in the kitchen."
"I can't believe you picked up a woman at the hospital."
"It's not that unbelievable, Omittchi."
"Youji-kun, she was your nurse."
Youji ponders that a moment, kicked back on the couch after having returned to the RV that afternoon. "You know, it just makes it that much more special."
Omi tries his best not to groan. He has just filled Youji in on missed events while Nagi is dabbling at making an early dinner. The little telekinetic is the only one not grossed out enough to never want to enter the kitchen again. Ran, Ken, and Shioshiro are outside sparring.
"I gotta tell ya, she's…pretty amazing, Omi." Youji says, staring up at the ceiling with a grin to marvel most sunrises. "The kid kinda tipped me off, but…damn, I didn't know a guy could fall head over heels that fast."
"Tipped you off?" Omi questions.
"Forget it. Let's just say Fate led me to my new lady and I am not about to let her slip away. We're seeing each other tonight. And the next, if I can help it."
"Youji-kun, we're leaving in a few days. Did you tell her that?"
"I…will."
"Youji…"
"Perhaps this is something best eased into." Nagi says, coming to Youji's rescue with dinner now safely in the oven. "He wouldn't want her thinking he was stealing away before stealing her heart, now would he?"
In an instant, Youji is nothing but pearly-white teeth. "Ha! See, even the chibi gets it." he says with a laugh. A suddenly floating pillow then miraculously lifts from below his feet to hurdle toward his head. "Not chibi! Very adult looking young man! Geesh!"
While Omi and Nagi laugh, Youji…soon joins them. Though he is still a bit sore from the prior mission, he is feeling top notch after his little hospital visit, which may or may not have something to do with his future date.
With…Asuka.
The fact unsettles him a little. The name, how much the woman resembles his Asuka. But frankly, Youji would rather not think about it. Some things are better left a mystery.
"So, we will be leaving for Germany in a few days time. Is there anything else that needs preparing?" Nagi asks, seated in a chair opposite Omi while Youji plays with the pillow that had so recently been a projectile weapon.
Omi tilts his head, thinking. "Not much. Manx and the others are handling many of the arrangements under Shioshiro's direction. We should be expecting quite a bit of help on this one, behind the scenes at least. Not much more to do. I know Shio-kun is hoping to get a hold of Farfarello and Sally though."
"And Schuldig and Crawford as well?" the young brunette questions, averting his eyes to avoid appearing too eager for this information.
It isn't difficult for Omi and Youji to guess at his eagerness, however. Family comes in many unlikely forms, after all. "I'm not sure, Nagi. Shioshiro would welcome their help, but…he doesn't have any way of contacting them. Farfarello and Sally left us ways to get a hold of them, but…" he sighs. "I'm sorry. I don't know if we'll be seeing them with the others."
A somber smile and the wave of a small, delicate-looking hand dismisses the matter. "I was…just curious. It's of no concern. I'm sure…everything will work out fine…without their help."
Youji sits up on the couch and tosses the pillow suddenly for the brunette to catch.
If Nagi hadn't been so preoccupied with his own thoughts, he might have thought to deflect it, but instead catches it in very surprised hands.
"Let's hope, chibi…Nagi." Youji smiles. "I think hope's about the only thing we can count on at this point."
-----
Left. Right. Duck. Roll. Upswing. Parry. Thrust. Duck again. Breathe. Don't forget to breathe. Sparks. More Sparks. Metal and metal. Claws and blades. Behind. To the side. Again. Again. Again.
Enough.
"I give. Shit, you guys are too much for me." Ken pants, claws held up in surrender.
The cute little family is behind the RV, using the open area for some much needed, and thankfully uninterrupted practice.
Ran and Shioshiro stop as Ken has, the redhead stepping towards Ken with a slight scowl as he wipes the sweat from his brow. "I doubt our enemies will offer reprieve if they prove too much for us, Ken. We should continue."
"Yeah, well…tell me that again when I'm not so worn out I'm about ready to pass out." Ken counters. "When we go in for the mission, I'll have had enough hours of plane time, sitting on my ass, to never get overworked after a little exercise. Right now? I've had enough exercise. In a number of ways." he adds with a wink.
Ran chooses to ignore the comment.
Shioshiro cannot.
"Ew. Dad, can you not talk about that stuff when I'm around. Please. I mean, I love you guys and I'm more than happy for you, but…you know…son. And for me…gross."
Ran's cheeks blush a little redder.
Ken…laughs.
"It's a part of life, Hiro." Ken says, re-sheathing his claws. "How do you think you were conceived?"
"Errr…test tube?"
"Oh. Right."
"Shioshiro, Ken, please." Ran interrupts, thinking this line of talk is just a bit too…odd to pursue. "Let us return to sparring. We only have a few days until our…our…"
"Last mission." Ken supplies. They share a strained smile. It is a strange thought after all. Weiss has been their life for many years.
"I know. Why don't we break until after dinner? Catch a breather?" Shioshiro says hurriedly, happy to disrupt the pair's strange melancholy.
Ran is at first hesitant, but a pleading, desperate look from brown eyes quiets him. "All right. Put the targets away and I'll check on dinner's progress. Afterwards, we will be picking up where we left off, hopefully with the others as well. We all need to be at our best."
Hard as he tries, Ken's thoughts head for the gutter and his smile turns wicked. "No need to worry about that…Ran."
Shioshiro rolls his eyes. When Ken steals a quick kiss as Ran passes, the pair ignores the gagging sound that accompanies it. But when Ran is heading inside and Ken turns back to catch Shioshiro making faces, he tosses his son a swift glare.
Shrugging his shoulders, Shioshiro's face beams innocence, but it is a look Ken knows too well. He has used it himself far too often to ever take it seriously.
"Ah, come on, I can't help it." Shioshiro says in his defense. "It's in the child's handbook: 'must be grossed out by parents being lovey-dovey.' I can't admit I find it adorable. It's against union rules."
This, of course, sends both into a quick round of laughter.
Violets shining, Shioshiro sheaths his sword and begins to pick up some of their targets, which in truth they had not used very much, choosing instead to combat one another. Once he has stilled his own laughter, Ken follows suit, and it does not take long for them to have the backyard cleaned up.
Backyard. It's almost enough to make them trick themselves into thinking they are just a normal father and son enjoying an evening outside.
Almost.
"Youji told me about Asuka." Ken says after a time, the pair having found comfortable seats in the grass. "They really hit it off, from what he said. Gotta date lined up and everything."
"Yes, I heard." Shioshiro replies with an honest smile. "I was wrong after all. It wasn't ever going to be necessary for Yotan's amnesia. I just…I was afraid to hope."
Ken nudges his son hard with his elbow. "That was your first mistake. Never be afraid to hope. Hope is it, Hiro. Hope's the one thing you should never be afraid of. It defies fear. It's the fear antichrist."
"Haha. Well said, Kento."
"I just mean…don't be so willing to count some impossible things out. The impossible happens all the time. Youji got a date with his future wife, Omi and Nagi are fooling around in Omi's room, Ran and I got it on in the kitchen--"
"I'm about to throw up from too much information." Shioshiro jumps in. "And…you've started calling Oran…Ran." he adds, watching Ken from out of the corner of his eyes. He sees Ken blush. "Yeah, it wasn't hard to miss."
Ken nods, his smile a little dreamy, still half expecting to wake up and find that he has dreamed this entire month. More than a month now. "I figured I better start calling him Ran if I'm going to have a sister-in-law named Aya." he grins. "And besides…he should get used to his old name again. He doesn't need another name to hide behind anymore."
"You are right about that, Kento. And I'm thankful for it."
"You're thankful? I'm thankful. Did you know…he finally said he loved me back?"
Shioshiro's eyes widen. That he had not heard. "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you. I know how…hard it's been on you. And…well…sex doesn't mean all that much if there isn't love in the act."
Seeing as how this is the first time Shioshiro has mentioned sex in conjunction with Ran and Ken without gagging, Ken decides not to make any smart comments. Instead, he turns to look at his son and smiles.
Finally having his father alone, Shioshiro decides that this—at last—is the opportune moment. He reaches into his pocket. "Kento…I know you probably think everyone has forgotten what day today is. But I haven't." he pulls out the picture he had been carrying and passes it to his father. "Happy Birthday."
Ken starts. He thought for sure the others had forgotten. It's only a birthday, after all, not something to get too excited about, but this is his 20th, the age of becoming a man. Of course, Ken thinks to himself, if already having had sex, alcohol, and a few murders under his belt didn't mean he was a man, not to mention sitting here with his son, he didn't know what made a man.
Looking down at the picture Shioshiro has passed him he sees that it is the one the boy showed him back during those first days. In it he sees himself with little Hiro on his shoulders, and Ran is standing right next to him with an arm around them both. He had almost forgotten this picture. Looking at it now, he almost laughs at how when he first saw it he had found it so impossible, and now…he knows firsthand how possible the impossible really is.
"You're giving me this? Won't that, I don't know, mess with the time continuum or something?" Ken asks, lifting the picture to get a better look.
"Well…you can't keep it." Shioshiro explains. "But you can hang on to it until this is all over. It'll be a little pact. When we have miraculously succeeded and everything is coming together, you can give this back to me before I go home."
Without meaning to, Shioshiro's words cause a little more pain than intended. "Before you go home…" Ken repeats quietly. "I keep forgetting that. When this is all done…you're outta here."
Shioshiro's brow creases. He knew this would be hard regardless of how anything turned out, but he always assumed it would be hardest on himself. "It'll be all right. You get to start from the beginning, remember? Kawaii little Hiro, a new life with Oran, new lives for everyone. And…I get to go back to a brighter future. Back to the people I love, if a little older than they are here."
"And back to Yue." Ken puts in, secretly plotting to change the subject, since neither really seem to be feeling better about the idea of Shioshiro leaving. "Tell me more about her. All I really know is that Youji's gonna be an in-law. She better have some good qualities to make up for that."
Shioshiro laughs. "Well…there's not much to tell. She's…amazing. Really beautiful. Long dark hair, great body, and these eyes, these green eyes that when she bats them at you, you're pretty much a guaranteed goner."
"Gee, wonder where she got eyes like that from." Ken says with a thick layer of sarcasm.
"And she flaunts everything she has." Shioshiro adds. "She had every boy in school after her. Me? I was the one she came to. The good friend she always came to."
Ken knows what that means. "Ouch. How'd you get from friend-land to fiancé?"
An almost impish smile touches Shioshiro's expression. "Pure genius. With a girl like Yue, being her friend was the only way to get beyond being a fling. We grew up together, you know. She's a few years older than me, but in school she was always watching my back. When it came to guy trouble, I watched hers. She'd come to me crying about this guy or that all the time. Meaning…"
"You were the guy always making her feel better."
"Exactly. I took it in stride. Was I jealous as hell of every guy who ever took her out? Yes. But in the end…"
"She realized that the one guy who really understood her…"
"Was her good friend, Hiro." Shioshiro finishes. "We've been together for almost three years now. I proposed a couple weeks before coming here."
Ken's wide smile falters slightly. "That had to be hard on her."
Shioshiro's smile falters significantly. "Well…I'm sure she's…pissed beyond all reason, but…I'm sure she understands this is for the best."
"You know…the way you talk about it, it's almost like…you didn't tell her you were coming here."
It is no trick of the light that the tendons along Shioshiro's neck tighten. "Don't…be silly. She'd…never forgive me…if I did something like that."
Ken's eyes narrow, unconvinced. But he isn't about to push things right now. Instead, he pushes such thoughts from his mind. "Well…thanks for the birthday present, Hiro." he says, staring longingly at the image a moment more before pocketing the photograph. "I'll keep it safe 'til you need it back again. And…if the others don't remember what today is, don't worry about reminding them. It's not that important."
Boldly reclaiming his lost smile, Shioshiro leans into Ken for a solid push. "I'll concede to not spreading it around, but it is important. You're finally as old as me."
At first, Ken laughs, but just as quickly as the sound escapes him, it dies again. Younger than his own son.
Really, now that is creepy.
"Okay, I'm heading in. You coming, Hiro?"
"I'm…going to sit out here a while longer, I think. I'll be inside in a bit."
"A short bit. Dinner's probably almost ready by now."
"I know." Shioshiro smiles, watching Ken as he stands and stretches. Having his father so near always makes Shioshiro feel…a little better about life. It gives him…that hope he knows he needs. Hope that he can finish this, and for the better. "Kento…I…just want you to know…when I do have to go home…I'm going to miss you."
Staring down at Shioshiro with a puzzled expression, Ken doesn't at first know what to say. "Miss me? You'll see me, what, two seconds after leaving, right? I'll just be 50 instead of 20." he grins.
Shioshiro's heartbeat has started to pick up pace. "Well…"
"And if you're worried about messing up the future, I'm sure at the very least, things will at least be a little better than you left them. Like all the stuff we've done so far."
"I…I know…"
"So there's nothing to worry about, right?"
It takes all of the strength Shioshiro has to not start crying, or to at least not allow the few stray tears wanting to fall. But he knows he cannot risk it. As much as he wants to tell his father the truth, he just…can't.
A final flash of too white teeth and Ken is heading around to the front of the RV to go inside and wash up for dinner. Much as he might want to join the others right away, Shioshiro knows he must take at least a moment to collect himself again should his anxiety give anything away.
Leaning back against the RV wall, still sitting in the grass with his legs curled up to his chest, Shioshiro takes a deep breath, half fingering his ring while looking up at the darkening sky.
"Kento…you really are the eternal optimist. And damn it if I don't wish I inherited that." he whispers aloud, tears so close to the surface. "But even after all this…if we fail to get rid of the source…you could still…things could still turn out as they did. If you still have to fight, if it doesn't end now…urg, I don't want to think about it, but…being here with you like this, seeing you again after so many years…I just…I…I can't…let you die again…"
"Then I think you better start by explaining everything…" breaks in a deep, familiar voice that causes Shioshiro to very much want to kick himself for not sticking to an internal monologue.
As the brunette lifts his head, eyes wet and near bursting, he watches in horror as his redheaded father comes into view from around the side of the RV.
"Explain to me everything…from the beginning…about how Ken dies."
tbc...
A/N: I have so many excuses for my tardiness. I went to Georgia, turned 21, and got my wisdom teeth out. I'm sorry. But I hope this chapter was liked. I will, as always, try to be quicker with the next one.
Welcome new readers, as always it is a pleasure to have you.
There was basically just praise for the boys finally getting it on before so if I missed any questions, sorry. For those who have suspected Ken being dead in Hiro's timeline, good job. You'll get the details next chapter. Hiro still has a number of secrets, though, and I hinted at one more of them, though I doubt it was clear enough to pick up. We'll find out.
Well, I gotta post this baby, so...thanks as always everyone. I am truly blessed for such a loving and loyal fanbase. This fic means so much to me. sniffle. Love you!
Crim